NEW ORLEANS—John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh have thrown compliments at each other throughout Super Bowl week. Call them brothers on their best behavior.

However, 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss isn't buying all of it. Moss knows the Harbaugh brothers love each other. But Moss also believes the family affair raises the stakes for both coaches.

"I know John and Jim want to beat one another," Moss said. "That’s bragging rights for the family. They could be grandfathers and great grandfathers and they’d still have something to hold over the other brother’s head. Both coach Harbaughs want to beat each other, and they don’t care how they do it."

If you haven't heard that brothers are coaching in Super Bowl XLVII, welcome back from Jupiter. We have never seen it before for a championship. We may never see it again.

There are many similarities between John Harbaugh, finishing his fifth season with the Ravens, and Jim Harbaugh, finishing his second season with the 49ers. Here’s a closer look at two brothers preparing their teams during Super Bowl week.

SIMILARITIES

Intensity: Both coaches are fiery, which will make for great camera shots Sunday.

Forget the stoic, hands folded in front of the body look you got from Tom Landry when he coached the Cowboys. When a call goes against either team Sunday, there's a possibility that either coach, particularly Jim, could blow a gasket.

John Harbaugh told a story Tuesday about throwing his headset when he was an assistant coach at Western Michigan under his father, Jack Harbaugh.

"We were getting the short end of the stick—three penalties on the game-winning drive," John said. "So I tossed my headset down the sideline, right in front of the opposing student section and band. I turned around and there’s my dad, right in my face. He said, 'Go pick that up.’ I’m like, `Really?’ So I got to go run down there in front of that opposing student section and pick up that headset and take that ribbing. That was a pretty good lesson."

Both gambles paid off, and you may see that side of both coaches Sunday, perhaps an onside kick or some other form of trickery.

Empowering players: Both John and Jim believe in forging strong bonds with players and allowing team leaders to take charge of the locker room. John welcomes the leadership role that Ray Lewis takes with the Ravens, while Jim is secure enough to let players speak their minds, as long as they keep their concerns within the team.

"Coach Harbaugh gives us a lot of freedom," said safety Donte Whitner. "He has an open door policy. If we have any problem, family problem or personal problem we can talk to him and he will do his best to solve it. I can’t speak for other teams. When I was in Buffalo, it wasn’t really that way. I know here coach really takes our opinion into consideration.’’

DIFFERENCES

Coaching strengths: John’s first thought is defense, while Jim was groomed as offensive coach.

Jim was an NFL quarterback. He instinctively sensed that Kaepernick was ready to start for a Super Bowl contender, despite his lack of experience.

John leans more toward defense. He played defensive back in college, and coached defensive backs in the NFL. It figures that a team with Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata would have a head coach with a defensive background.

Sense of humor: Both coaches have one, both they are different. John smiles more and tells more anecdotes. Jim’s humor is more cutting.

Asked whether they fought as kids, Jim said, "I’m sure we did. As to who won and who lost, I can’t remember. I have a hard time remembering what I did last Tuesday."

Asked if he worried that John could read his mind, Jim said, "No. Worried about a lot of things, but I have not noticed that he has any clairvoyant powers."

Here is what both brothers worry about. How the losing brother will feel after Sunday’s game.

"That’s a very interesting thing," Jim said. "Life is full of bitter disappointments. I think we all understand this going into this game. We both want to desperately win and be part of a championship. The great thrill of winning is there, but we understand the other side of that.’’

What transpires will be fascinating. They John and Jim will still be brothers late Sunday night. But only one brother will be a Super Bowl champion.